


Flex

by scarletsptember



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Language, M/M, NHL Trade(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-02-14 13:33:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13008891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletsptember/pseuds/scarletsptember
Summary: The trade had been a surprise. A new head coach can find a way to get whatever they wanted to build their ideal team. Ovi’s healing time, his age and slow rehab was not what the new coach was looking for. Ovi’s contract was bought out and he was up for trade. New blood and a good pick in the draft is what was at stake for the Capitals.Sid knew the Ovechkin he played season after season was still in there, and he was going to make sure the rest of the league knew it as well. He, Geno and Ovi may end up spending more time than advisable together over the summer, but the Caps are going to regret every second of this trade. They would make sure of that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this isn't EVER going to happen but I kind of had this idea way back in April. Then it grew legs. And it wouldn't leave me alone. I tried to wait until I had a build up of chapters buuuut I couldn't resist. So I'm going to stick to a once a week update schedule. Wednesdays seem like a good idea to me. If you hate it, tell me and then I'll just write this for myself when I need writing breaks from Bar Down. If you like it, tell me and I'll keep posting updates! Because I love hearing what you guys think!

                The option for trade came as a surprise to the entire league. Alex Ovechkin had been out from a broken femur and the complications that came with it for an entire season. Sid remembered the replays of Ovechkin hitting the ice with a scream. There was a scramble of trainers, players and the medical team to get him onto a stretcher and off of the ice. Sid remembered hearing about him being taken in for immediate surgery. He remembered all the shit people gave Ovechkin for taking longer than expected to heal. He was only supposed to be down six months. That was before he got an infection and faced two more surgeries.

                Geno kept Sid updated on Ovi's progress and he knew Geno wasn't tell him everything that Ovechkin had been dealing with. When Geno started to hesitate in keeping Sid updated, he made the decision to go check on Ovi. He didn't want Ovi to do what he did when he was out all those months with his concussion. It wasn’t Ovi's fault that his body needed more time to heal and to get to one hundred percent.  He needn’t let that bring him down or influence the work he put into his physical therapy and his approved work-outs. Depression hit hard when you couldn’t do the one thing you loved the most. If Sid didn’t have Geno, Mario and the guys on the team he would have hit rock bottom and believed that he wasn’t ever going to be able to come back. But his team stood by him. They supported him all the way through it.

                That’s why the trade was a surprise. A new head coach can find a way to get whatever they wanted to build up their ideal team. Ovi’s healing time, his age and slow rehab was not what the new coach was looking for. Ovi’s contract had been bought out and he was put up for trade. New blood and a good pick in the draft is what was at stake for the Capitals.

                “I tell him that he good player.” Geno sat his beer heavy on Sid’s coffee table. “I tell him that it’s okay to take time to heal. Then this happens. He’s best player on team and they treat him like shit?”

                Sid licked his lips and listened to Geno rant. He felt the same way. They both knew what it was like to be underestimated and believed that their best years had already played out. They were lucky being in Pittsburgh and having a coaching staff that believed in them. If they didn’t, they very well could have ended up where Ovechkin was, on the cusp of losing his career.

                “He shouldn’t be traded because he still working to be healthy. This is bullshit, Sid.” Geno growled out before shoving his phone towards Sid. Sid could only make out a few of the words here and there. He was still figuring out Cyrillic and the Russian language. “Now he doesn’t want to rehab his leg. If he not going to play, what’s the point in getting to where he was, he says. He can walk, jog and skate. More than he thought he’d be able to do. He goes home to Russia. He tries to be happy there. He’s not happy. Not happy since he lost hockey.”

                “He didn’t lose hockey, Geno.” Sid snatched the bottle of beer from Geno’s hand. He had too much if he was getting this morose. “Any team would be lucky to have a guy like Ovechkin on their team. He _knows_ hockey. He understands how to open up lanes of play. He knows how other teams play. He really fucking good, and everybody knows it. He’s going to be playing hockey this season. He’s almost there. He’s on the ice with trainers.  He’s going to play.”

                “Don’t know that Sid.” Geno shook his head. “He could be back to one hundred and no body want because he old.”

                “The fuck are we?” Sid scoffed. “You aren’t old until your Jagr old. He’s got plenty of years left in him.”

                “We should tell Mario.” Geno brightened up and grabbed at Sid’s phone that was currently tucked into his pocket. “Tell him.”

                “At midnight?” Sid rolled his eyes but Geno pointedly looked at Sid’s phone and then back at Sid. Sid raised his hands, “Fine I’ll call. If he gets mad this is on you.”

                “This is why Sid is the best.” Geno grinned at Sid and watched as Sid scrolled through his phone until he got to Mario’s contact information.

                Sid listened to the sound of the rings and ended up leaving a message. “Hey, it’s Sid. Geno’s making me do this but I think the thought has some merit. And I apologize if I woke anyone up, but we should grab Ovechkin before someone else does. He’s good at what he does on his worst days. He might be what we need.”

                Geno rolled his eyes as Sid hung up the phone. “Geno’s making you do this? Please. No one make Sid do anything if he think it a bad idea.”

                “Go drink some water and go to bed before you die of dehydration. We’re going to be training in the morning.” Sid swatted Geno’s knee as he stood up and gathered up the empty bottles to toss in the recycle bin.

                “Sid, why we have to train so early? Season just end. We’ve got all summer and then training camp.” Geno asked as he stood up. He looked at the bottles and food still littering the coffee table and huffed out a sigh.

                “I got it.” Sid nudged Geno towards the stairs. “Just don’t fall on your way to bed. You’re heavy.”

                Geno flipped him the bird before trudging upstairs. Sid gathered all the empty bottles and set them in the recycle bin. He filled the dishwasher, wiped the counters and made sure there wasn't any food left out to ruin. The entire time he thought about Ovechkin and what he was going through. He knew that Alex was probably counting every reason why the Capitals wouldn’t even attempt to keep him. He’d be thinking of everything he could have done to avoid the injury, to make sure his spot on the team was waiting for him.

Settling in to bed Sid couldn’t get the image of how exhausted Alex looked the last time Geno dragged him over. He thought about the little things the team did for him that made everything better, if even for a moment. Sid grabbed his phone and shot of a quick text to Alex. He might not see it until the morning or the afternoon but it would be there waiting for him. **_You’ve got this. Don’t stop now._**

****

                Sid and Geno had just managed to hobble inside Sid’s kitchen, still sucking in deep breaths of air from their run when they noticed Mario sitting at Sidney’s kitchen table. He was reading the sports section of the newspaper and sipping on coffee.  He raised a brow at the pair of them as he spoke. “Is there a reason you had to call me at midnight to tell me you have a crush on Ovechkin?

                Sid choked on a mouthful of Gatorade. Geno, ever so helpfully asked around a wide grin, “Who have crush on Sasha?”

                Mario looked between the two of them before playing the voicemail for both of them to hear. Sid grimaced at the sound of his tinny voice and how rushed he sounded. It was never a good thing when Mario showed up and played back all the evidence before stating his case. “The last time I checked, we're not hurting for players. And we’ve got an excellent record for the past few seasons. I'll admit that we do have areas to work on like any team does, but you both know how this works. There is a lot that goes into securing a trade and making sure it’s the best for the team. It’s important to get young players and it pays to have a better pick during the draft.”

                Sid and Geno both kept quiet as Mario spoke. They did know how it worked. It was what would ultimately be best for the organization as a whole. That’s what the coaching and management would look at. They’d determine who would compliment the current layers and who they could use to give the team an edge over the rest of the league. Sid never should have let a buzzed Geno influence him so easily.

                “Are we clear on that?” Mario asked. Both Geno and Sid nodded and kept their eyes cast down. It was never easy getting scolded by someone you looked up to. It was worse when it was someone like Mario. “Good. Next time you feel the urge to call about something like that? Wait until morning, yeah? We’ve got a lot going on with the draft only being a week away. You should both try to enjoy your summer. Hell, spend it with Ovechkin for all I care. Just do something besides bother me.”

Sid and Geno nodded and they waited until Mario disappeared out of the room before Sid threw a vicious smack to Geno’s chest. “You fucker.”

“You didn’t have to call. Could have said, ‘Geno, you’re drunk. We wait until tomorrow.’ But no, Sid not say that. Sid just calls.” Geno held his hands up like he was completely innocent in this.

“Go home. I’ve got shit to do today. I need to book my flight out to head home. You probably need to do the same thing.” Sid grumbled before finishing off his Gatorade.

Geno shrugged a shoulder. “I'm going to go see Sasha. Then maybe go home. I'm not sure yet.”

Sid mulled that idea over for a few moments before saying anything. “I can go with you, to DC, and then go home. If you don’t think that’ll bother him.”

Geno smiled, “Think it’ll be good. See Sid, see me. We both understand what he deals with. Can kick him out of bed and make sure he does exercises.”

“Tell me when and I’ll book the flights.” Sid tossed the bottle in the recycle bin. “I should probably find a place to stay too.”

Geno scoffed as he searched the kitchen counter for his car keys. “Stay at Sasha’s. Plenty of space and he’d be bad Russian if he sent you to hotel.”

“How long were you planning on staying?” Sid asked as he walked Geno to the door.

“However long it takes. He’s a friend, not going to go home when he needs me here.” Geno answered. “Go shower and pack bag. We go in a couple of days.”

 

Geno ended up convincing Sid that it was a better idea to drive to Ovechkin’s place. It wouldn't take too long and whenever Sid wanted to head back to Cole Harbor Geno could always get him home, packed and off to the airport. They were sitting outside of Ovechkin’s gate, waiting for him to let through when Geno turned towards Sid. “He’s not happy. He not be nice sometimes and can be worse than Flower when mad. But he needs us.”

Sid nodded in understanding. He could give Ovechkin a break for the time he was here. If it were too much, he’d just take Geno’s car and head home. It was as easy as that. The gate opened and by they pulled up to the front Ovi was leaning against the door with a wide grin. “You didn’t say Sidney was coming!”

Geno got out of the car and wrapped Alex in a hug. “Good to see.”

Sid only caught bits and pieces of their conversation after that. It was a blur of Russian and gestures Sid figured he’d never be privy to. It was a language shared between long-time friends and it wasn’t one that could be translated. Sid grabbed his and Geno’s bags and locked the car. He waited until Alex gestured him inside before saying anything. He set their bags at the foot of the stairs and followed Alex into the living room. He started pointing different rooms out to Sid on the way into the kitchen. Sid tried not to let his eyes linger on the scar down Alex’s thigh from the surgeries. He tried not to let it be known he noticed way Alex walked and how his gate had changed as he healed.

Instead he listened to the way that Alex and Geno chattered on about pointless things. The weather, the traffic on the drive in, and plans for the summer. He absently accepted a glass of water before he drifted off to the den leaving Geno and Alex to catch up. He eyed the pictures hanging on the wall and the decor that reminded him of Geno’s house. It was lush. The couches were worn in and comfortable. Every room Sid padded through was warm and inviting. He found himself drawn towards the book cases. His fingers trailed the spines. Most of the books were Russian but there were a few that Sid had read as well in English.

Sid started when Alex wrapped his arms around him. “Didn’t expect you to be here but it’s a good surprise.”

Sid let Alex press an obnoxious kiss to his cheek before shrugging him off. “I figured you wouldn’t hate me tagging along.”

“I'd never hate spending time with Sid. Speaking of time, it’s time for dinner.” Alex patted Sid’s chest before moving into the kitchen. Sid followed and watched as Alex started pulling ingredients out. Sid wasn’t sure what he was going to be making but it looked a lot more extravagant than Sid had expected.

“You know sandwiches would be fine.” Sid pointed out. He startled when Geno clapped a hand on his shoulder with a wide smile. “Proper Russian welcome.”

“Oh,” Sid nodded, “Then by all means, you should to cook to your heart’s desire.”

Alex grinned before pointed to Geno, “Take Sid on tour, show him why my house is best house.”

“Not my house, not bring on a tour.” Geno snorted in derision. At Alex’s pointed look he rolled his eyes before leading Sid around the house. He pointed out the entertainment room.Sid had a feeling they’d end up in the entertainment room more anywhere else.  What was impressive was the workout room. It was much larger and had a lot more equipment than Sid’s did. He could tell which machines and items were recently bought and geared towards his new physical therapy regimen.  There was a white board that detailed out what Sid assumed was a week’s worth of workouts. The Cyrillic was hard for Sid to understand, but he couldn't help but try to figure the directions out. He had picked up a good bit of Russian thanks to Geno but reading it was slow going. He had more trouble with it since he didn’t practice it as much.

“Close mouth, you drool.” Geno tapped underneath Sid’s chin, even though it was currently closed. Sid rolled his eyes at Geno and moved to stand in front of the white board. He pointed to a few of the instructions that he couldn't figure out on his own.

Geno followed him over and explained, “Hip abduction with resistance bands. Weight to be determined.”

Sid pointed to another and Geno answered. “Squat then box jump.”

Sid could make out the weight machine exercises. They were a lot heavier than what Sid would have expected for someone who had been through the amount of surgery and rest time Alex had to go through. “He’s doing well.”

Geno grinned, “Don’t let him hear you say that. He will tell you a different story. He thinks he never get to play hockey now.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Sid scoffed. “Some team will grab him up. It’d be stupid not to get him now that the Caps let him go.”

“That’s what I hope.” Alex said as he leaned against the door frame. “Since when do you speak and read Russian?”

Sid shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve been learning.”

“He lie.” Geno shoved Sid’s shoulder. “He better at it then he lets on.”

“Sid has secrets.” Alex raised a brow. “Come back to kitchen we can finish the tour later.”

Sid trailed behind Geno and Alex as they made their way back to the kitchen. Sid took the seat that Alex pointed to, across the kitchen counter on one of the barstools. He was surprised when Alex passed a cutting board, knife and an onion to him. “You eat, you help.”

By the time Sid was finished he settled on watching Ovi work. He recognized the pelmeni that was being made. It was a favorite of Geno's. But there were a lot of other bits and pieces that Ovi was cooking on the stove in between getting the pelmeni put together. It was a lot of food for just the three of them. It reminded Sid of every time Geno’s parents came to visit and filled Geno’s freezer to capacity with food and always invited Sid to an extravagant dinner. It felt good to be a part of this.

Sid listened to Geno ask Alex how his recovery was going. From all things Alex was saying, he was on his way to feeling one hundred percent. He still had his bad days when he didn’t want to get out of bed because his leg _hurt_. He didn’t want to go through his physical therapy. He had learned that actually doing the exercises regularly helped relived that pain. He might not be able to push as hard as he did most days but if he could get through them he’d get some relief.

As they ate Alex asked about their plans for the summer. He grew oddly quiet once Geno spoke of his plans. Sid had to admit, he probably would have reacted the same if one of his friends said they’d stay in the states with him, instead of doing what they usually did.  Alex finished his dinner slowly before standing. “Sorry, I’m tired. Think I should get some sleep.”

“We’ve got this. Go get some sleep.” Sid stood up and started grabbing plates and heading towards the sink with them.

“Geno can show you where you can sleep. He knows where all the rooms are.” Alex rubbed at his eyes before disappearing around the corner and padding upstairs.

Sid waited a few minutes before saying anything. “Is he okay?”

Geno was in the middle of putting everything in containers and he stopped. “Won’t know for sure until he finds a team. If no team, don’t know if he ever heal.”

“Someone is going to pick him up. Even after an injury and the recovery time he has to know that someone is going to take him. As much as I hate to say it, he’s an amazing player.”

Geno shook his head in amusement. “Sid hate it when anyone but Pen amazing, especially when we play them.”

Sid rolled his eyes as he rinsed a pot clean. “Being alone doesn’t help.”

“No.” Geno agreed. “But he not alone. He has me and you.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sid had kept quiet about the lack of news concerning a team that might pick up Ovechkin. They were getting closer and closer to the draft, and he hadn’t even heard a rumor of anyone being interested. The closer they got, the worse of Alex’s attitude had grown. Sid listened to the punishment Alex forced upon himself in the gym. He wanted to go in there to tell him to stop, but he knew the sweat and the burn of muscles was the only thing that could bring Alex close to feeling any relief.

He understood what it was like, needing to prove to yourself that you were as good as the league once said you had been. Sid did the only thing he could think of to help Alex. He'd leave fresh bottles of Gatorade on the benches and grabbed the empty bottles every time he checked in on Alex. Geno shared the same concerned look and at the sounds of weights dropping abruptly they both froze. They waited and listened for any sign that there was something wrong. Sid startled at the sound of his phone ringing. He glanced down to see Mario’s name and took a deep breath before answering.

“Hello?”

“You better be right about him. We gave up a lot to take him on. Don’t let him or you make us regret that decision.”

That was all Mario had said before he hung up. Sid looked at his phone and then up at Geno. His mouth dropping as he tried to search out the words that were escaping him.

“Sid, okay?” Geno grabbed Sid’s phone out of his hand and looked through the recent contacts. “What he say? What Mario say?”

Sid didn’t have to say anything though. Alex tore into the kitchen and grabbed Sid in a wild hug. He felt his feet lift up off of the floor as Alex held him tighytly. “Thank you!”

“What is happening?” Geno looked between his two friends before it dawned on him and he grinned wide. “He become a Penguin?”

“Best fucking Pen! Better than you, better than Sid, better than Mario! Best Pen!” Alex tugged Geno into a tight, sweaty hug before darting around the kitchen counter and grabbing glasses and pulling a bottle of Vodka out before looking down at the alcohol forlornly and putting everything back up. “Tonight we celebrate, and _not_ watch draft. Since I can’t drink yet, you don’t drink either!”

“Whoa, don’t get ahead of yourself there. You not ever going to be as good as Mario. Might be close to me and Sid.” Geno laughed. “But not the best.”

The excitement was catching.  Sid laughed at the wild grin on Alex’s face. “Going to have to get used to ugly yellow color but the rest of uniform is acceptable.”

“Uniform is the best.” Geno rolled his eyes.

“You know this means you and Geno can’t fight on ice anymore, right?” Sid pointed out.

Alex rolled his eyes, “We fight at practice.”

Geno scoffed, “Sid make you do bag skates until you puke if you fight. Ask Horny.”

Alex’s eyes widened, “You’re a mean captain? No, cannot be. Sidney Crosby is always nice.”

“Um,” Sidney scratched at the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, “Sure?”

Ovi grinned wide. “I didn’t think this would happen. I didn’t think I’d find team much less team like Pittsburgh. Thought maybe I might get a job off the ice but still be part of hockey. Not expect this.”

Maybe it was the excitement of the moment, or finally seeing Ovi smiling, but Sid was volunteering his entire summer to helping Ovi before he could stop himself. “You better be ready to train because we’ve got the rest of the summer to show everyone who doubted that you could come back wrong.”

Ovi’s excitement was infectious. Sid couldn’t help but mirror the wide smile. Geno had moved to wrap and arm around Alex’s shoulders and tugged Sid in as well. Sid felt something inside of his heart shift as he watched Alex laugh with excitement.  He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he had seen Alex genuinely smile but it was far overdue.

“I have to call trainer and physical therapist.” Alex shifted out of Geno’s hold and went to find his phone. “We need a new plan.”

Sid looked over to Geno, “So I guess I’m not going home?”

“I should call Momma,” Geno scratched at the back of his neck. “She’ll understand. Helping friends is important.”

“You don’t have to stay. I’m sure we’ll get through the summer without killing each other.” Sid looked back towards the white board that looked empty now and knew tomorrow it would be full of new exercises. 

“I’m still staying.” Geno shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe we bring him to meet other Pens before camp. Show them he’s still Ovi, but now he's our Ovi.”

Sid nodded. “This is going to be good for him.”

“Yes.” Geno agreed and left to follow after Alex.

They piled up in in the den and didn’t watch the draft. Sid checked his phone off and on to see what the multitude of text messages he was getting said, but he ended up stuffing his phone in between the couch cushions and focusing on the show Ovi had picked out. Geno fell asleep an hour into it. He had shifted until Sid gave in and let Geno rest his head on Sid’s thighs. Alex gave them a curious look but didn’t say anything. It had become the norm between him and Geno. Whenever one of them needed something to ground them, the other was there without fail. It was natural for him to slide his fingers through Geno’s hair while he slept.

“This could be big mistake. Me being a Pen.” Alex admitted quietly.

Sid looked over at Ovi to gauge how serious he had been about that statement. The worry that lined Ovi’s face made his heart ache. He had never seen Ovi this unsure of himself. Sid was going to make damn sure this was one of the last times he saw it.

“It’s not a mistake. Three years ago? It would have been a mistake. But now? You aren’t going to be the same player you were, but you can be just as good or better if you put in the time. We  have your back, and everyone else will fall into line once they see how serious you are about playing Penguins hockey. Just promise me one thing.”

“What?” Alex asked quietly.

“Don’t let anyone make you think you aren’t good enough.” Sid said. “You’re are and you always will be.”

Ovi’s lips parted around words he couldn’t say out loud. Sid didn’t push. He went back to watching the show and running his hand through Geno’s curls. He’d have to tell his parents he wouldn’t be making it up at all during the summer. There were plans he had previously made that he would have to reschedule or cancel. It would be worth it though. If Ovi kept progressing and didn’t push himself too hard, he would be an asset. One the Capitals would regret letting go.

 

The next few days were spent getting Ovi’s training schedule ironed out. Sid and Geno had their own training routines for the summer planned out and it wouldn’t be difficult using facilities in DC. They made the trip back to Pittsburgh to pack everything they might need. During the couple of days they spent in Pittsburgh, Sid spent the majority of the time fielding calls from the team.

There was a variety of responses. Some were good, but a lot were unsure of how this move was actually going to work out. Then there were the few team mates who were completely against Ovi becoming a Pen. It wasn’t like they could do anything about it but if they didn't give Ovi a change and the chemistry was shit on ice, It could cause a lot of problems further down the line.

Sid drove to Ovi’s separate from Geno. He wanted to have his own car for travel and to be able to explore DC on his own. He knew he had a few engagements that he’d need to leave for but otherwise he was dedicated to helping Ovi see this through. It didn’t bother him as much as he thought it should have. He did spend last season getting updates about Ovi. He sent texts off and on with the hope that they might be a bright spot on a dark day. They also played one epic game of phone tag full of words meant to goad Alex into fighting for hockey and trash talk from Ovi that sent sparks of anger down Sid’s spine after a particularly shitty game.

He arrived back to Ovi’s place before Geno did. He knocked on the door and only waited a brief moment before Alex was opening the door and grabbing one of his bags. “Come, I show you your room. Not the sad spare room you stayed in before. You and Zhenya get suites if you stay all summer.”

Sid almost laughed at how excited Alex seemed to be about spending the summer with he and Geno. This was the Ovi he was used to. As they climbed the stairs, Ovi started speaking in Russian. Sid slowly translated the sentences in his head like he would when Geno tried to test him.

“This is your room. Geno will be across the hall and my room is there.” Ovi pointed before opening the door to Sid’s room. It was much larger than the spare he had stayed in before. The attached bathroom was a definite luxury. Everything in this part of the house had been done in warm, inviting colors. It felt like Ovi wanted he and Geno there for the summer. Sid dropped his bag on the floor next to where Ovi had dropped the other.

“You know where everything else is, yes?” Ovi asked. "Yeah," Sid nodded. "Then we go back down stairs and relax before you unpack." Ovi said as he turned out of the room and started back down the stairs. He settled down in the den where he had a couple of ice packs laid out on the coffee table but didn’t bother reapplying them.

                “Sid.” Alex spoke softly and kept his eyes focused on the floor in front of him. “Thank you. Thank you for believing I can do this.”

                Sid wanted to wave the words off and say that it was nothing, but that wasn’t true. There weren’t many people who believed in him when he had been side-lined for so long. He knew what it felt like to be given up on. He wouldn’t let Alex feel like he had. He was going to put everything he had into making sure Ovi was ready for the season. He was going to do everything he could to help Ovi prove them all wrong.

 

                Sid was bent over, his hands on his knees and sweat slid down his back. He glanced over at Geno who had his arms resting on the top of his head and was gasping for breath as he walked in tight circles. What was supposed to be an easy session with Alex and his trainer turned into something much more competitive and stupid. They let Alex taunt them into working much harder than they would have during the early summer months. Geno couldn’t figure out how to walk straight. Sid couldn’t figure out how to breathe. And Alex? He was stretching through his cool down routine pleased as pie.

                “You should not have been so lazy before coming here.” Alex grinned over his shoulder and looped a stretch-out strap around his shoe and stretching the muscles in his leg out. Sid eyed Ovi’s leg as he raised it in the air. He was getting the hockey definition back in his thighs. Sid’s eyes lingered too long when Alex laughed loudly. “You see something you like, Sid?”

                Geno rolled his eyes, “Sid not like your ugly face.”

                “Maybe not my face, but he likes my legs.” Alex grinned wide and Sid did his best not to blush. Instead he coughed into his hand, “What are we going to be doing for lunch. I’m starving.”

                Alex looked over to Geno with an arched brow and said something in Russian that Sid only caught half of but it was enough for Geno to let out a growl. Sid looked unimpressed with Alex as he said, “I understood most of that you know.”

                “If you understand, then what did I say?” Alex challenged.

                “ _You don’t feed your_ … something. You said it too quickly.” Sid rolled his eyes at the glee in Alex’s eyes.  It only set Alex off in a long string of Russian that Sid couldn’t pick out any of the words. Geno’s cheeks flushed before he rolled his eyes and left Sid to Ovi’s mercy.

 Geno had been kind enough to speak slower when he worked with Sid on his Russian. Alex was going to be a shit on purpose.  That wasn’t anything new. He reached out a hand to tug Alex to his feet, “Let’s eat. Tomorrow we get ice time?”

                “Yes!” Alex wrapped an arm around Sid’s shoulders and walked with him into the kitchen. “Good to skate with Zhenya and you without thinking about how to beat you. Instead we do drills, skate and have good time.”

                Geno looked over his shoulder at Ovi and Sid with a raised brow, “Sid was mine first. You should remember that.”

                “Oh, it is a competition. You know I always win.” Alex challenged.

                “No competition if I already win.” Geno shrugged a shoulder and went back to working on their lunch. He mumbled something too quickly for Sid to decipher that had Alex laughing hard. Sid was left waiting for one of them to tell him what had been said but neither of them was going to let him in on the secret. He grabbed his plate petulantly and made his way into the family room. They could eat with each other in the kitchen if they were going to tell secrets in Russian.

 

                Sid and Geno leaned against the boards as they watched Alex skate up and down the length of the rink. He was listening to the instructions of his trainer. He was going through the motions to see how much progress he made and what other drills he could start running. He skated differently. It was expected, a broken bone and basically a year away from a rink in a competitive nature can lead to a lot of changes.

                It was odd to see Ovi skating with an air of caution. Sid was used to seeing him move recklessly and without a thought. Now, he focused on his edges, the way he glided around the back of the net and his push off wasn’t as strong as it had been. Sid glanced over at Geno who was biting his lip as he watched Ovi’s progress around the rink.  The trainer was making notes on his clipboard and barked out different orders for Ovi to showcase.

                After thirty minutes of it, Ovi was sent over to the bench where Sid and Geno were sitting. He was panting and accepted the bottle of water without a word. Once he finished off the water he wiped his mouth dry. “He’s going to set up a course, tell me what to practice. You can get on the ice and start your workout now.”

                “We’ll warm-up and do some of the drills with you.” Sid offered.

                “Don’t have to.” Alex looked over towards Geno.

                “Be good for us to practice, get back to basics.” Geno pointed out. “You work on speed, then we work on speed. We add our training as we go.”

                “If you say so.” Alex said as he got back on the ice followed by Sid and Geno. They took long strides; slow up first but gaining speed. This was one of Sid’s favorite things to do during the off season. He loved the feeling of getting back on the ice, skating just because he wanted to until he pushed himself into a workout. The chill of the ice against his cheeks and the sound of his skates against the ice, it felt more like home than his house did. Having Ovi and Geno skating, neck and neck with him, sent a thrill down his spine.

                They skated in patterns until a shrill whistle stole their attention. The course had been set up and they were put to work. It was a lot more than what Sid had expected. The trainer wasn’t going easy on Ovi. They were going at the course in full strength.  It wasn’t until the end when Ovi’s energy started to flag but it was obvious he was trying to push himself to keep up with a Sid and Geno.

                Sid couldn’t help but admire that part of Ovi. He never gave up. Not when it came to what he loved. They made their way quietly towards the locker room to shower off and get changed. Alex was still a bit winded but after this summer, they all knew that would change. Alex was going to be the boisterous hockey player that he had been before the injury.

                “Please tell me we are getting lunch on the way home?” Alex asked in slow, enunciated Russian after they were showered. It was purely for Sid’s benefit but he appreciated it. Deciding not to make a big deal about it, Sid answered him. “Sure, I’ll pay.”

                “Then I’m going to order the whole menu. Sidney Crosby makes the most money out of all of us.” Alex said with a cheeky smile. Geno laughed and Sid rolled his eyes. He had a feeling that they would be having plenty of conversations like this over the summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I'm working on some romance-y parts and I'm excited to see what everyone will think of it. 
> 
> I hope everyone has a good holiday and new years! I'm getting to do some traveling that I'm super excited for. Even if I'm spending an entire day in a car, driving through multiple states. I'm ready for it :) 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot minute! I've got an update and hopefully I'll have updates quicker for ya'll!

Sid had forgotten how exhausting training could be. He and Geno were sprawled out across the floor in Ovi’s living room. They were both covered in sweat and trying to catch their breath while Ovi was going through the last bit of his stretch routine. Geno reached out a hand and grabbed Sid’s arm to get his attention. “Sasha really wants to be a good Penguin. He try to kill us so he has no competition.”

Sid let out an exhausted laugh but turned to Geno with a grin.  “He really does.”

Geno rolled his eyes. “Need to eat more if we keep working like this. We show up to training camp and have lost too much weight. We’ll get into trouble.”

“I think we’re okay for another week.” Sid joked as he patted Geno’s stomach.

“Sid will lose ass,” Geno mourned. “Sid can’t lose ass.”

“Oh my god.” Sid knew Geno was only teasing but the comment still made his cheeks turn bright red. He threw an arm over his eyes to hide his embarrassment.

 “What did Zhenya say to get you to turn such a pretty red, Sid?” Ovi said in Russian as he walked into the living room. It took Sid a moment to figure out what exactly Ovi had said and he was pretty sure his blush only got worse. The way Ovi started to laugh made it even more obvious. Sid ignored the lightning fast Russian flying over his head between Alex and Geno. He knew what they were discussing thanks to Geno’s light shoves. He startled when Ovi picked up his arm to peer into his eyes. “We need to make sure you eat more. Sid can not lose your ass. It’s best in the league. You have ass, Geno has smile, and I have skill. The Penguins can’t afford us to lose any of these things. If we do, then I don’t see how we can even beat the Flyers.”

Sid let out a loud, honking laugh. The kind he didn’t like to let people hear but here, he didn’t mind that Geno and Ovi were around witness to it. His laughter only served to send Geno and Ovi into hysterics. After how intent they had been during their training sessions, they needed the humor. It had only been two weeks of work but it felt like they didn’t stop. Even on a rest day, they spent most of the time talking hockey, looking at tape and preparing for the next day. Ovi would have something new to focus and work on every few days outside of the physical therapy sessions he had in private. Sid and Geno did their best to work on the same drills with Ovi and then they would do their own while he was tucked away in his gym. It was exhausting for Sid, but he could only imagine how it had to feel for Ovi.

They’d have the upcoming weekend to do absolutely nothing. For once, Sid could say that he was looking forward to it.

~*~

Sid wasn’t sure what woke him up. He didn't feel hungry and he wasn't thirsty but Sid made his way quietly down the stairs.  He didn’t expect to see Ovi sitting in the living room with a grimace on his face. He wasn’t sure if he should pretend he didn’t see anything and turn around to go back to bed, or if he should say something. Alex took the choice out of his hands.

 “You don’t have to stare. Get you whatever and go back to bed.”

“Are you okay?” Sid asked softly as he watched Ovi try to massage his own thigh unsuccessfully. He couldn't put the right amount of pressure to bring relief to his leg.

“It just hurts.” Alex admitted. “Sometimes it's the weather that makes me hurt. But it's been bright sunshine all week. I think I pushed myself too far without enough breaks.”

“Do you mind if I try something?” Sid asked as he walked around around the couch.

“I will let you try anything as long as it makes this feel better. The pain pill didn’t help.” Alex admitted.

Sid nodded and motioned for Alex to turn on the couch where his back was pressed along the arm rest. He sat down facing Ovi with one leg tucked beneath him and his opposite foot rest on the ground. He patted his thigh to get Ovi to rest his thigh across Sid's and the uninjured leg felt like it had wrapped around his hips. Sid knew the position they were in looked suggestive. It even felt that way to him, but sitting on the couch like this was the best option so he could help Ovi. There was no way he was offering a thigh massage to Alex Ovechkin on his bed. They were fine right here, thank you very much. Sid rubbed his hands together, knowing his fingers were cold.

“What’s the plan?” Ovi asked as he watched Sid warm his hands up. His voice wavered as if now the position they were in finally registered and he was unsure of himself.

Sid placed his hands just above Ovi’s knee and gently tested the muscle as he worked his way up along the main scar. Because of the infection and the extended time it took to heal, it didn’t heal as nice as it should have. It was a thick, angry red line that was raised and jagged in places. There were a few other scars from where drains were placed from surgery after one of the infections. This was the ugly side of being an athlete. The damage done to your body and the hell you went through to keep playing the sport you loved and made a living from.

The muscle of Ovi’s thigh was beyond tense. He pushed his thumbs in gently at first and slowly increased pressure as he worked the muscle. He was scared that he might do more damage than good but he knew if he did anything that hurt, Ovi would stop him. Instead of thinking about where his hands were, Sid focused on the soft sounds slipping from Ovi’s lips. At first they were pained hisses. Then, each pained breath taken slowly melted into soft approving moans. 

Sid kneaded and dragged his fingers along firm warm skin. He alternated between heavy pressure and soft, soothing touches. He kept his eyes focused on where his hands were touching. He could feel the way Ovi’s body tensed when Sid’s fingers rolled over knots. Once he worked the tension away, he was tempted to let his hands linger and to learn the spots that made Ovi's breath catch in an entirely different manner.

When Sid slid his hands back against Ovi’s knee and let his thumbs drag against sensitive skin beneath Ovi drew in a sharp breath and a satisfied hum. Sid didn’t look up at Ovi. The reaction sent his heart racing. What would Ovi do if he worked his way higher up his thigh? God, what was he thinking? This was Ovi. He kept his head down, and focused on massaging the muscles until he realized the leg around his waist had grown slack and he could hear soft, breathy snores. Ovi’s mouth was slightly parted and his head had rolled back.

 With careful hands, Sid managed to slip from between Ovi’s legs and off the couch. He nudged Ovi until he shifted into a bearable angle for sleep and he tossed one of the couch blankets over Ovi. Sid made his way back up to his room wondering how many nights Ovi had sat up alone like that, hoping for some kind of a relief.  It made his chest ache to think of the possibility.

 He stopped short when he saw Geno leaning against the door to his bedroom. “Hey, couldn't sleep?”

Geno didn’t say anything. Instead he tugged Sid in against his chest and held him there. Sid let himself be held. There weren’t many people he would allow to touch him like this. Geno was one of the few who he welcomed moments like this. Geno was still warm from sleep and his movements were slow and his touches lingered. Sid wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t speak. He let Geno hold him until it was enough for him. He stepped back, brushed his hands over his face and turned back to his room. Sid watched as he slipped back into bed before doing crossing the hallway and slipping in to his bed.

                ~*~

Sid woke up later than he usually did. He padded down the stairs still in his pajamas. He stopped just short of the kitchen. He could hear Geno and Ovi speaking in muted Russian. He knew better than to listen in to a conversation between other people, but he couldn’t help himself. When they were whispering, in a language he wasn’t one hundred percent fluent in, he knew they were trying to hide something from him. He just wasn't sure what it was they were attempting to hide.

He got the basic gist of what Geno was saying. It embarrassed him that Geno was coming to his defense, even before he needed anything to be defended from. He was warning Ovi away. Well, not telling him to back off but to be more careful when it came to Sid.

 _“He loves with everything he is. Don’t hurt him.”_ Geno’s voice had grown soft with those words. There was something beneath those words that made Sid want to go into the kitchen and figure out what Geno really meant by that.

_“I would never hurt Sid. He was just helping me last night. I was hurting and couldn’t sleep. It was just a friend helping a friend.”_

 Geno scoffed at Ovi as if he to say he didn't believe that for a second. Their words were too fast for him to follow or keep up so he stopped trying to listen in and instead turned back towards the stairs. He walked up a few steps and then stepped down them again heavier, to make enough noise to be heard and to stop the conversation between Geno and Ovi. He was successful. As he rounded the corner with an exaggerated yawn Geno was digging in the fridge and Ovi had his leg stretched out and resting on a chair in front of him. Geno tossed an ice pack over to Ovi without a word and then starting making breakfast.

 “Everything okay in here?” Sid asked cautiously as he looked between them.

 “I'm just tired. It was a long night.” Ovi answered. “And Zhenya is never happy when he doesn’t sleep through the night. You know how he is, like a little boy who doesn’t get his favorite toy.”

 Sidney raised a brow and looked over at Geno. Geno shrugged his shoulders as if to say, ‘what can you do?’ Instead of addressing the awkward tension in the room, they all ignored it. Sid offered to help Geno with breakfast but Geno shook his head no. Ovi was busy thumbing through his phone like he was looking at something important.

 “How’s the leg feeling?” Sid asked, nodding to the ice packs.

 “I think a weekend of rest is in order.” Alex said with a sleepy smile.

 “We won’t complain.” Geno laughed. “Time to be lazy and recover.”

 “Movies!” Ovi clapped his hands together. ‘We watch movies. My pick since it’s my house.”

 “Oh? That’s how it works?” Sid asked just to be an ass. “Your guests don’t get any say in the matter?”

 “You’ve been here over a week. You are no longer guests.” Ovi rolled his eyes. “Saw you do the dishes yesterday. Guests don’t do the dishes.”

“Oh, well if I knew that I wouldn’t have done the dishes.” Sid rolled his eyes.

 “Told you, should leave them for Sasha. He’s lazy.” Geno drawled out the last word. Ovi ended up punching Geno in the shoulder. “I’m not lazy. I’m tired. There’s a difference.”

Sid left them to their bickering and made his way in to the living room. He grabbed a book off of one of the shelves and settled down on the couch. It wasn’t too long before both Ovi and Geno followed after him. Geno picked out a movie to watch and settled on the couch next to Sid. He set an arm along the back of the couch behind Sid’s head.

 _“You pick a movie and you get to cuddle with Sid. That isn’t fair Zhenya.”_ Ovi said in Russian. Sid raised a brow understanding every word out of Ovi’s mouth but chose not to say anything. Geno didn’t say anything either but caught the look Sid sent Ovi.  He just grinned and shook his head and focused on the movie playing.

Sid gave up reading a quarter of the way through the movie. There were too many scared screams and jump scares that he couldn’t pay attention to what he was reading. Instead he was stuck wondering why they chose a horror movie at ten o’clock in the morning.

Ovi turned to look to look at Sid with a mischievous grin and spoke in Russian, “ _Sid, I’m scared.”_

Sid rolled his eyes and responded, “ _Tell someone who cares.”_

Geno burst out laughing at Sid’s flawless Russian. Ovi pressed a hand to his chest in shock, “Sid, you hurt me.”

“Sid,” Geno gasped for breath, “you are the best.”

“Oh!” Ovi threw his hands up in the air. “See what happens when you distract me. I miss the blonde girl getting killed! I missed important stuff.”

 “You missed blood and guts.” Sid scoffed.

 “Something important could have happened. I might have figured out who is killing these girls.” Ovi persisted.

 “We know it’s the camp counselor.” Sid pointed out. “He went to the camp as a kid, and he's mad that he was picked on and now he’s getting his revenge by killing teenagers who are jerks to other teenagers.” Sid explained.

“You’ve seen this!” Ovi groaned.

“No,” Geno commented. “He just figured it out like he always does.”

“I deserve cuddles from Sid, just for that.” Ovi pouted.

“No one is getting ‘cuddles’ from Sid.” Sid said as he reached for his book. He missed the look Geno and Ovi shared otherwise he might have picked up on the fact that Ovi wasn’t going to let that comment slide.

“I’m going to get a drink. Need anything from the kitchen.”

Both Sid and Geno said they were fine. Ovi padded into the kitchen and grabbed a drink but on his way back to the couch, he stopped behind Sid and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

“Get off.” Sid jerked forward trying to stop Ovi from doing much more but that was the wrong way to move. Ovi ended up sliding behind Sid on the couch. He reached out and wrapped his hands around Sid’s waist. “Zhenya, tell him to accept the cuddles. If he gives in, he will want the cuddles.”

Geno scooted down the couch not wanting to have any part in this. Sid struggled with Ovi for a few seconds. He was pretty sure Ovi decided to let his hands wander if the pinch under his arm  and then the heavy smack against his chest were anything to go by. He wrestling with Ovi and was close to getting the upper hand when Ovi yelped in pain. Sid jumped off of the couch looking to see where he hurt Ovi. “Shit, are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Ovi grinned up at him with a toothy grin. “Not hurt but now if you want to sit on the couch, you have to sit next to me. Make a Sid sandwich.”

“You think you’re cute.” Sid grumbled.

“I know I’m cute.” Ovi chuckled. “Otherwise why would you put up with me?”

“I really don’t know. It’s has to be the way you play hockey.” Sid said as he grabbed his book off of the end table. He was not going to give in and sit by Ovi.

“I think we all know what good hockey does for you.” Ovi leered.

“I’m going to take a nap.” Sid ignored Ovi as he made his way towards the stairs. “Finish your horror movie. You’re missing the boobs.”

Ovi clucked his tongue before grumbling to himself, “Not interested in boobs. Interested in hockey.”

Geno sent a look over to Ovi as if to say, ‘I told you already, lay off of Sid.’ Geno gave Sid a few minutes before following up after Sid. He knocked lightly on the door and wasn’t surprised to hear Sid say, “Go away Ovi. I was serious about the nap.”

“It’s me.” Geno said before opened the door and poking his head into the room. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” Sid sat up from where he had been curled up on the bed.

“I thought you just wanted to get away from Ovi.” Geno said as he sat on the foot of the bed. “I didn’t think you really wanted to sleep.”

“I was just going to make him feel bad for an hour or two then go back down.” Sid admitted sheepishly.

Geno laughed, “You are not nice, Sid.”

“No. He’s not nice making me think I hurt him.” Sid looked down at his book not really reading the words on the pages.

“You should be careful. I saw how you looked at him last night.” Geno commented softly.

Sid raised a brow, “I look at him the same way I look at you.”

“I know.” Geno let out a heavy sigh and patted Sid’s knee. “Read your book. I’m going to figure out what’s for dinner.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You know? You know what?” Sid asked as he sat up straighter on the bed.

“It means, I know. I’m going to go make dinner. I want soup.” Geno said over his shoulder as he left Sid sitting on his bed confused by the entire exchange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm attending a book signing March 10th in Pittsburgh. If anyone is in the area and wants to drop in, I've got four free tickets I get to give away. It's the Angels and Sirens event and there a lot of other great authors who will be attending. Send me an e-mail at: akbroome90 at gmail dot com or drop a comment if your interested. I'm southern based so I don't have anyone to give them to because no many people are into hockey or will be in the area. 
> 
> Also I'm looking for Beta Readers for book three, if you're interested let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile, yeah? Well I'm trying to get back to writing. I started a new job in January and it's been a weird transition working on three monitors for eight hours and to come home to my laptop and work for a few hours more. That's a lot of screen time. 
> 
> So if you have any suggestions, let me know! I'm up for anything. I've started handwriting but I leave out a lot. And book far is very slow going ... so hopefully I'll have lots more of this for ya'll.

Sid wasn’t sure what Geno had meant when he said that he knew. There was a part of him that immediately thought Geno knew how Sid felt about him. When it came to Geno, Sid wanted more than friendship. He did his best to hide his feelings and not betray the friendship he had with Geno. He wanted more though. He wondered if maybe he hadn’t been as successful at hiding his feelings for Geno as he thought he had been.

He closed the book he had been reading and stared up at the ceiling. It was hard for him at times, trying to be in a relationship. It was only after knowing someone for awhile that he started to feel any sort of attraction to them. That’s how it always happened and by the time he’d have to courage to make any sort of move, it would be too late.

There were times Sid thought Geno may have been interested in him. No one touched or spoke to him the way Geno did. It made him feel like he was special and it wasn’t because he was good at hockey. It felt like Geno could be attracted to him as well. The way he flirted. Well, how Sid thought he flirted. Half the time Sid couldn’t figure out if he was being flirted with unless someone told him straight to his face that they were flirting with him. And even then he doubted it.

If Geno knew then maybe Sid should stop hiding. Maybe he should do something about it.

But then he stopped to think about Alex. He knew that he cared deeply for the man. He wouldn’t rearrange his entire summer for anyone. There were only a select few he would do that for. And he had done it without hesitation when it came to Alex.

He wasn’t sure what any of this meant. It was too much all at once. Sid shook the thoughts off and padded down the stairs. Alex had dozed off on the couch and Geno was in the kitchen standing over the stove, stirring whatever soup he had decided to make. When Geno looked up, he smiled softly at Sid. “I thought you were going to hide upstairs longer.”

“Me too,” Sid admitted as he settled on a barstool to watch Geno work. Sid was quiet for few minutes trying to figure out what he wanted to say but he started thinking about what it would be like to be more than a friend to Geno. He wondered how it would feel to have Geno’s lips pressed against his and Geno’s hands against his skin. He brushed a palm over his face and let out breathy sigh. “I think too much when it’s too quiet sometimes.”

“Maybe,” Geno suggested as he watched the soup swirl in time with his spoon, “Maybe you should stop thinking then.”

“What if that ruins everything?” Sid asked softly. “I can’t risk that.”

“It won’t ruin things.” Geno pointed out He set the spoon down in it’s rest and placed the lid on the pot. “If you don’t take the risk, how will you ever know?”

Sid licked his lips as he focused on Geno from across the counter top. He wished he knew exactly what was going through Geno’s mind at this very moment. Were they talking about the same thing? Were they alluding to different things and getting everything mixed up?

“What are you making? It smells good.” Ovi’s voice called an end to any conversation Sid may have been having with Geno. It would only get more complicated now that Ovi was in the mix.

“Soup.” Geno answered. He looked slightly annoyed by the fact that Ovi had interrupted their conversation.

“I see that it’s soup,” Ovi rolled his eyes. “What kind of soup?”

“Meatball.” Geno answered, “It needs to simmer for awhile. Eat snack if you’re hungry.”

“So testy.” Ovi commented. “What happened while I was sleeping?”

“I started thinking.” Sid waved Ovi’s questions off.

“You should listen to Zhenya. Sometimes the best things happen when you stop thinking.” Ovi patted Sid’s back. “And you never know, something might work out for the best.”

“Yeah,” Sid let out a soft sigh, “Some how that only works for me if it involves hockey. What are we doing for the rest of the weekend?”

“Go into town in the morning for fresh fruits and vegetables.” Ovi said. “I leave early to get to the market so you don’t have to go.”

“We go.” Geno grinned. “Some has to pick out good foods.”

 

 

Sid woke up to Geno rubbing his chest lightly and the sun was barely coming through the curtains. He nearly reached out to lace their fingers together but full wakefulness kept him from doing so.

“Hey.”

Geno’s smile was soft and it felt private. As if he would only use it for Sid. “Time to get up. Sasha ready to go at six but said we could go at seven and still get the good foods.”

Sid laughed and sat up. “Let me get dressed and I’ll be ready to go.”

“I’ll have coffee waiting. He says we get breakfast there.”

Both Geno and Ovi were waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. Geno pressed a to-go cup into Sid’s hands before they piled into Ovi’s massive SUV. Sid listed to Geno and Ovi talking back and forth to each other softly about what they were hoping to find and what they planned to make for lunch and dinner later on.

It was strange how he had gotten used to hearing a mix of Russian and English and found it comforting. He wasn’t sure how it was going to feel when he went back home. It’d be too quiet with out Geno and Ovi shuffling around the house throughout the day.

“What are you thinking about?” Ovi asked in Russian.

Sid shrugged a shoulder, “Nothing. I’ve just gotten used to having you both around. It’s going to be strange going back home in a few weeks.”

Ovi grinned and glanced over his shoulder at Geno, “Sidney loves us Zhenya.”

Geno laughed, “Maybe.”

Sid rolled his eyes and focused on the road around them. “Where are you taking us?”

“Not much longer.” Ovi didn’t bother explaining any further than that.

They drove through a smaller town before coming to what Sid figured to be the main street. The market must have been the pride of the town because it looked like everyone was here. Tables and crates were full of vegetables, jellies, candles, and even hand crafted jewelry. Sid woke up as soon as they started through the first tables.

Sid couldn’t remember a time he laughed while strolling through a farmer’s market or even a grocery story but being here with Geno and Ovi, he couldn’t stop smiling. Ovi haggled and laughed with everyone he spoke to. Sid had bought strawberries at one of the first stalls and ignored the looks Geno kept giving him as he bit into the tender fruit. He didn’t want to think about what those looks could mean. Not now.

He had nearly eaten all the strawberries as they wound their way through the pop-up market. By the time they had made it to a table full of pastries that Ovi kept talking about, they each had bags full of vegetables and fruits.

“This is why I brought you here. This wonderful woman, I would marry her if she wasn’t already married because these are heaven.” Ovi walked around the table like he had done it a million times before, and wrapped his arms around the gray haired woman. She patted his arm with a bright smile. “I thought my favorite hockey player had forgotten about me.”

“Never!” Ovi promised. “I’ve been working hard to get back on the ice.”

She raised a brow over the frame of her glasses, “I suppose I’m going to have to get used to only seeing you when your new team plays?”

Ovi ducked his head, “I will come visit.”

“Good. You two make sure he does.” She smiled as she started placing pastries in a box without asking Ovi what he wanted. She peered at Sid and grinned before tapping the edge of her mouth. It took Sid a moment but he realized what she was telling him. He wiped at remnants of strawberry juice but came away with nothing. Geno laughed at Sid. He swiped his thumb along the corner of Sid’s lip.

Sid wished they were anywhere but here.

Ovi leaned over with a leer, “Next time I help Sid.”

The lady started laughing and Ovi smiled even wider, “Nancy gets me. She’d help Sid too.”

Both Sid and Geno started laughing right along with Nancy. It was infectious and when Ovi tilted his head back laughing, Sid felt his breath catch. This was the way Ovi was supposed to be. It was how he was when they weren’t playing against each other. Happy.

He pushed all those thoughts about Geno and Ovi down and focused on the things he knew he could have. Friendship. It was enough for now.

 

After a weekend of lying around, watching movies and eating some amazing food, Sid was regretting not doing some kind of exercise. He and Geno had decided to do Ovi’s physical therapy routine and they both found muscles that they needed to work on.

“It’s why I’m going to be fastest Penguin.” Ovi grinned over his shoulder as he stepped into the kitchen.

“No one faster than Haggy.” Geno shook his head. “Maybe faster than Shearsy or Dumo.”

“Well faster than you for sure.” Ovi rolled his eyes and imitated Geno’s loping strides as well as he could without skates and ice. Sid snorted as he tried to muffle his laughter. When Geno shoved Ovi hard enough to knock him off balance, Sid lost it.

“We’ll see who is faster when the season starts.” Geno taunted Ovi.

“What are we making for dinner?” Sid asked as he took his usual spot at the bar. He was already prepared to start cutting whatever they passed him.

“Food.” Ovi answered with a grin.

“I should have expected that from you.” Sid rolled his eyes. He waited patiently as Geno passed over a cutting board, handed a knife over and set an onion and a couple of bell peppers on it. “Slice for fajitas.”

“Someone’s feeling spicy tonight.” Ovi leered and it made Sid chuckle. “Oh maybe Sid feel spicy too?”

Geno raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Ovi’s commentary but started grabbing the rest of what he’d need from the fridge and pantry. Ovi sat next to Sid and stole a raw slice of yellow bell pepper. As he crunched on the vegetable, Sid could tell his thoughts had strayed to a more serious subject.

“I don’t know what that bell pepper did to you but I’m sure it doesn’t deserve to be eaten like that.” Sid plucked the remaining bit of bell pepper from between Ovi’s fingers and popped it into his mouth. Ovi’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ovi looked across the counter at Geno with a sly smile, “Sid like this all the time?

“Sid,” Geno tilted his head with grin. “Is Sid. No one like him.”

“I see.” Ovi knocked his knee against Sid’s. “I like fun Sid.”

“Sid felt his cheeks heat from their attention. “Well see if you still think that once the season starts.”

“Will always think good things about Sid.” Ovi admitted as he stood up and started towards the stairs. “Even when he’s clueless.”

Sid’s mouth dropped open a fraction as he looked across the counter at Geno. “I’m not clueless.”

“With some things, you are.” Geno teased. “But it’s okay. We still love you anyway.”

Sid walked around the counter with the cutting board loaded with vegetables on it to set it on the counter next to Geno. He looked up at Geno, word on his lips but he was unsure how to say them. Instead of saying anything, he leaned back against the counter to watch Geno work. He moved when Geno prompted him to with soft touches against his waist and anytime Geno bumped his hip against Sid’s.

He may have put himself on the edge of Geno’s workspace so he would have to keep moving Sid out of his way. Geno indulged him and moved him with soft touches and a knowing smile.

“Maybe Sid not so clueless?” Geno suggested softly as he heard Ovi padded down the stairs.

“Maybe.” Sid said as he moved to gather plates and utensils for dinner. Ovi swept into the kitchen with his phone in hand and a grin on his face. “What’s that look about?”

“Nothing.” Ovi grinned. “Just in a good mood.”

“Okay,” Sid drawled out. “If you say so.”

“I do.” Ovi nodded enthusiastically. “Let’s eat.”

After eating they piled on to the couch in the living room. Sid was in between Geno and Ovi. Geno arm was draped along the back of the couch and Ovi was sprawled out on the other side of Sid. Ovi had put on a Russian sitcom but hadn’t bothered putting on the subtitles for Sid, so he tried to decipher the fast flowing Russian but gave up on trying to translate it and just watched the characters on the screen.

He gave up trying to pay any attention to what was playing out on the television when he felt Geno’s fingers slide up his neck to toy with the curls at the nape of his neck. He shifted fraction closer to Geno and it was enough of a signal for Geno to scratch lightly at Sid’s scalp. The touches made him want to melt into the couch and against Geno.

Sid floated in the warmth of Ovi and Geno pressed against him on the couch. Ovi’s hand was warm just above Sid’s knee. The soft brush of Ovi’s thumb against his skin combined with Geno’s touches, it relaxed him enough that he dozed off and on throughout the episodes. It felt good being between Ovi and Geno. He had fun even sitting here watching television with them. He enjoyed sitting in the kitchen as they cooked, then sharing dinner with people who understood that he didn’t have to be talking about hockey all day, every day.

Doing something he would have never done before, Sid took a risk. He shifted until he was laying with his head in Geno’s lap and his legs over Ovi’s legs. He kept his eyes closed half afraid that they would make him move but the soft touch of Ovi’s thumb against the bump of his ankle and Geno’s hand rest on his chest. It was easy to fall asleep with them whispering softly above him. It was easy to think that he could have this with the two of them.


End file.
